Spain Rehab Hosting April 10 Fundraiser for State-of-the-Art Balance System

An elegant night out planned for Saturday, April 10 at the Southern Museum of Flight will help the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) raise funds to obtain a state-of-the-art device to help patients with balance disorders.

March 15, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - An elegant night out planned for Saturday, April 10 at the Southern Museum of Flight will help the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) raise funds to obtain a state-of-the-art device to help patients with balance disorders.

The SCR Women's Committee Neuro-Com Benefit Flight - a dinner dance with an air travel theme - will help the center obtain a Neuro-Com SMART EquiTest system, a computer controlled balance assessment and treatment system that can help patients with an increased fall risk.

The benefit will begin with a hospitality hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner. Guests will have an opportunity to tour the historic Southern Museum of Flight. Individual tickets are $75; corporate tables up to $4,000 are available. Tickets must be ordered by April 2 by calling 205-934-4999.

"Balance problems can be difficult to diagnose and treat because they can be caused by a combination of conditions and movement issues," says Catherine Newhouse, administrative director of Spain Rehabilitation Center. "This new technology will help the center provide the very best diagnostic and treatment options for patients with balance impairments throughout Alabama and the region."

The SMART EquiTest system assesses and treats patients with balance problems, including geriatric patients or those recovering from stroke, head injury or joint replacement surgery. It also can be beneficial for those with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. The system measures the patient's balance control through a series of standardized tests and can help identify the basis for a recurrent fall risk as well as provide therapy to lessen that risk.

No other hospital-based rehabilitation center in Alabama has a SMART EquiTest system.

About UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center

UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center is one of the Southeast's foremost providers of comprehensive rehabilitation care. Its nationally recognized programs are designed to address every aspect of a patient's rehabilitation, including physical, social and psychological health. Center specialists are devoted exclusively to the practice of rehabilitation medicine, utilizing advanced research, technology and expertise to provide the highest level of patient care.